Microsoft Azure

Join us on March 17th from **6:00pm** for a Data Streaming meetup hosted by **Snowflake** and supported by **Dremio** and **Streambased!** 📍**Venue:** **Snowflake** One Crown Place, London EC2A 4EF, U.K. 5th & 6th floors · London **PLEASE bring your PHOTO ID and REGISTER with your details for security purposes.** 🗓 **Agenda:** * 6:00pm – 6:30pm: Food/Drinks and Networking * 6:30pm - 7:00pm: Celeste Horgan, Developer Advocate, Snowflake * 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Tom Scott, Founder & CEO, Streambased * 7:30pm - 8:00pm: Will Martin, EMEA Evangelist, Dremio * 8:00pm: Q&A Networking 💡**Speaker One:** Celeste Horgan, Developer Advocate, Snowflake **Title of Talk:** I have no idea what I’m doing, or: building an Apache Spark to Apache Iceberg pipeline from scratch for data ingestion **Abstract:** Transitioning to Apache Iceberg requires a shift in how we think about data storage and ingestion. Enter: Apache Spark… maybe? Exactly how is an open question. In this talk we’ll go through the trial-and-error process of ingesting data into an Apache Iceberg table using Apache Spark. We’ll learn about file formats for Apache Iceberg tables, when to partition (and what the consequences are), common integration mistakes (as made by me in the learning process), and what Apache Spark does best, and when a different tool might work better. Most importantly, we’ll learn how to learn a new piece of software fast using AI to help rather than hinder. **Bio:** Celeste Horgan is a Sr. OSS Advocate at Snowflake. She got her start in open source at the Linux Foundation, where she supported the Kubernetes project on their documentation. From there, she went on to work at Aiven on open source data platforms, and now continues that work evangelizing data systems for Snowflake. Her work on inclusive language has been featured in the New York Times, and she lives in London. 💡**Speaker Two:** Tom Scott, Founder & CEO, Streambased **Title of Talk:** Turning The Database Inside Out **Abstract:** Over a decade ago, Martin Kleppmann's Turning the Database Inside Out reshaped how we think about data systems, putting the event stream at the heart of storage and computation. That vision inspired a generation of systems built atop Kafka, Flink, and event-driven materializations. But what if we never finished what Martin started? This talk takes the next leap, reimagining not just the transaction log, but the entire database through the lens of streaming. We'll keep Kafka as our canonical source of truth, but enrich it with the missing primitives: long-term storage, indexes, and projections. To achieve this, we'll move beyond Kafka's simple produce/consume model and embrace Apache Iceberg as the new foundation for durable, queryable event data. **Bio:** Long time enthusiast of Kafka and all things data integration, Tom has more than 15yrs experience in innovative and efficient ways to store, query and move data. Tom is currently CEO at Streambased a company focused on unifying operational and analytical data estates into a single, consistent and efficient data layer. 💡**Speaker Three:** Will Martin, EMEA Evangelist, Dremio **Title of Talk:** From Stream to Table: Building Kafka-to-Iceberg Pipelines **Abstract:** While Kafka excels at streaming data, the real challenge lies in making that data analytically useful without sacrificing consistency or performance. This talk explores why Apache Iceberg has emerged as the ideal streaming destination, offering ACID transactions, schema evolution, and time travel capabilities that traditional data lakes can't match. Learn about some foundational tools that enable streaming pipelines and why they all converge on this industry standard table format. **Bio:** Will Martin is the EMEA Evangelist at Dremio. Beginning with a background of statistical analysis in particle physics, his professional journey has spanned multiple industries, including banking, shipping logistics, entertainment, healthcare, defence, and customer 360. With experience as a data engineer, solutions architect, and software developer, he has spent 15+ years collaborating with companies and organisations across EMEA and APAC, including roles at CERN, Deloitte, and Tamr. \*\*\* If you are interested in hosting/speaking at a meetup, please email community@confluent.io

**\*RSVP** then use this **Collctiv Payment Link>** **[https://pay.collctiv.com/tuesday-badminton-37370](https://pay.collctiv.com/tuesday-badminton-37370) (**full details below) This session is suitable for **Lower Intermediate and above players!**! **SESSION DETAILS** * 4 court venue\*\*. 26 players max. * Feather Shuttles Provided. Bring your own racket * **Time** \- 8\.00pm till 10\.00pm * **Cost** \- from £10 per person \(book early to avoid a booking fee\) * Strict Cancellation, No-Show & Refund Policy! (see below) * **Updates & Notifications -** Make sure to have your meetup notifications on, **Booking & Payment Details (updated 12/01/26)** * **First RSVP,** then **use this [COLLCTIV](https://pay.collctiv.com/tuesday-badminton-37370)\* payment link** **until 2pm Mon** * \*Contributions toward the Collctiv App is optional, untick it! * **[Click Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pMsg6dATGes2pM59YuuzQBXabl882VvvXeDby0Y2usc/edit?usp=sharing)** to see full details regarding Collctiv * * **After 2pm (AutoPay) payments made via Meetup/PayPal** (fees inc), and any unpaid bookings will be withdrawn, but can rebook if a space is available **TERMS & CONDITIONS** * **You must RSVP on MEETUP, and pay as instructed!** * If you plans change and you cannot attend, update your RSVP immediately! * **[Click Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WmILk6X9dwgf_W0Cm6kgswKeW4ovHDTN8TBvN4Gq10/edit?usp=sharing)** to view details for Full Details By RSVPing for this event you confirm you have read and agree to our T&C's **\*\*Venue Details:** * Haberdashers' Askes Hatcham College, Brockley, London, SE4 2ED * Sports Hall is in the playing fields * **Car Park** (when open) - opposite no 33 St Asaph Road. Otherwise, park in the street. * **Pedestrian Entrance -** the gate is opposite no 39 St Asaph Road **Dress Code, Well Being, Conduct & Equal Opportunity:** * Wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor sporting activity. * Ensure than your jewellery is also kept to a minimal, and avoid wearing large ear rings, chains or bracelets/bangles. * If the above is not suitable, you might not be able to participate within the session. No refund, exchange or credit will be given! * If needed please seek advice from your doctor before playing any sports. * You are responsible for warming up/cooling down stretches to reduce the risk of strains/ injuries. * Play at your own risk as Crossfire Badminton Club will not be held responsible for any injuries incurred. * We welcome players of all backgrounds, and treat everyone equally with respect. This is also expected from our participants. If you fail to do this, you may be asked to leave the session, or even banned from future sessions

Join us for discussions about what’s happening in the world of XP, UX and software engineering in general. **What to expect:** Lively discussion amongst a diverse group of members within a friendly and safe space. New members welcome, the only thing we ask is that you care about software engineering and are happy to offer an opinion or two. **When and where:** Expect people to start arriving from 5.30pm UK. The meetup will officially run until \~8.30pm UK (but you won't be kicked out!) The venue will be the City Pride in Farringdon. **Agenda:** 5.30pm Soft start - everyone mingling 6.00pm 15 mins for lightning talks 6.15pm Topic Proposals 6.25pm Voting on topics 6.30pm First session - break out into groups, discussions happen 7.00pm Come back together, summarise any a-has 7.15pm Second session - break out into groups, discuss more 7.45pm Come back together again, share a-has 8.00pm Wrap up, then either farewell, or carry on talking Please do show the venue your appreciation by buying drinks & food at the bar, and leaving a nice Google / Tripadvisor / etc. review. About XTC The eXtreme Tuesday Club (XTC) is London's oldest agile meetup, and has been meeting since 1999. Initially the meetup was focused on discussing Extreme Programming (XP), but it has expanded to include anything XP, agile, lean, or the larger context in which we do software development activities. We welcome all software development newbies, practitioners, and experts to discuss topics of interest over drinks. Follow @extremetuesday (https://twitter.com/extremetuesday) on Twitter for announcements and updates, or use the hashtag #XTCLondon (https://twitter.com/hashtag/XTCLondon) to find and share insights.

**IMPORTANT: ONLY USE THE LINK BELOW TO BOOK & PAY (NOT MEETUP)** \*This **Tuesday Pop-in Adult Coaching session** is suitable for * Level 1.5 -Improver players * Level 2.0 - Low-Intermediate players **HOW TO BOOK & PAY** * **Multi-Session bulk discount available (from 5-15%)** * **Only book using this link - [Played Booking Link](https://crossfire-badminton.played.co/venues/harris-girls-academy-east-dulwich/sessions/50eec843-abfa-4591-a03d-0f5438822f7b)** **SESSION DETAILS** * 5 players Max, 1 Courts used * Feather Shuttles Provided. Bring your own racket * **Time** \- 8pm till 10pm * **Cost** \- £31\.00 per session \(5% to 15% discount available when bookings several sessions at the same time\) * Cancellation, No Show & Refund Policy! (see T&C's Below) **What is involved** Footwork drills, shot practice, technically & tactically development of your game, isolated and group drills. The activities involved will challenge you to be consistent, have better understanding & control of your game , push you physically, as we do our best to adapt the session to suit your needs individually and as part of a group. **Attending a coaching/training environment often is advisable, in order to maximise the growth of your game!** We finish the session with match play for the last 30min **VENUE DETAILS** * Harris Girls Academy, Homestall Road, London, SE22 0NR * Pedestrian - Enter to the far right corner of the main/blue building (right of the main reception) via the gate. * **Parking** is available outside in the street. * **Bicycles** can use the bicycle rack near the sports hall entry **TERMS & CONDITIONS** **[Click Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D8mOY-BWtmgiaP14YXs9aPoYDiyhRgl7yGSrlgYWNjM/edit?usp=sharing)** to view details for Full Details By Booking for this event you confirm you have read and agree to our T&C's **Dress Code, Well Being, Conduct & Equal Opportunity:** * Wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor sporting activity. * Ensure than your jewellery is also kept to a minimal, and avoid wearing large ear rings, chains or bracelets/bangles. * If the above is not suitable, you might not be able to participate within the session. No refund, exchange or credit will be given! * If needed please seek advice from your doctor before playing any sports. * You are responsible for warming up/cooling down stretches to reduce the risk of strains/ injuries. * Play at your own risk as Crossfire Badminton Club will not be held responsible for any injuries incurred. * We welcome players of all backgrounds, and treat everyone equally with respect. This is also expected from our participants. If you fail to do this, you may be asked to leave the session, or even banned from future sessions **Further Details** Email - [wayne.crossfire@gmail.com](http://wayne.crossfire@gmail.com/) Phone - 07956 285246 Spaces are limited, so don't delay! ``` ```

***[We're leaving Meetup! Going forward, tickets on Meetup will be limited. We encourage you to register via our Luma calendar instead, where the full number of tickets will be available.](https://aisignals.org.uk/events)*** **Agenda** 06:00pm - Doors open, food and drink served 06:30pm - Welcome 06:35pm - [Ana Catarina de Alencar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-catarina-de-alencar-6b022990/), Resident Philosopher at The AI Collective, "AI That Reads Emotions: What It Means for Data Privacy, Consent, Your Teams" 07:00pm - Break 07:15pm - [Will Chan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-chan2125/), Senior Product Manager at Risk Ledger, "How to Scale Yourself with an AI Digital Twin" ​07:45pm - Lightning Talk: [Jethro Reeve](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jethroreeve/), Full Stack Developer at Coefficient, "Explore the Kingdom - Cursor tool use with messy data" 09:00pm - Wrap up and social at [Well & Bucket](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZrUAiLyRjUddQzVQ6) **Please note you will be unable to enter the venue before 6.00pm.** RSVPs will close 24 hours before the event, you may be unable to register after this time but you can still watch online. If you can't join us in person you can watch remotely via [our YouTube channel](https://youtube.com/@ai-signals-community). **Our hosts may require that we provide a list of all attendees, please ensure that you register with a name that matches your government issued ID or bank card: if you do not we cannot guarantee you entry to the building.** Please RSVP for the event well in advance if you plan to attend in person and unRSVP if you can no longer attend as limited spaces are available.

*Please ensure that you have READ THE SUBMISSIONS before attending the session. Contact Graig in advance for the submissions document and the exact location in NEW CROSS.* This session will focus on FEEDBACK for members' writing. We ask that people attend two meetings before submitting their own work. Read, read, read- and be ready to give thoughtful and detailed feedback at our meeting! We aim to finish at 10 each session, but several of us will often continue to socialise with a drink or two.

**Details 🚀** This meetup is a **social coding jam** where we use AI to quickly turn fun ideas into functional prototypes. Whether you’re an experienced developer or have never written a line of code, you’ll fit right in. You can use any AI tools you like: **Google AI Studio, ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Replit**, whatever! And see what you can build together before the last orders 🍻 **Format 🛠️** We’ll be teaming up in small groups (2–3 people). Everyone gets the same open-ended challenge (or a choice between two), and then it’s heads-down building with your teammates. The goal is to **vibe, learn from each other, and see where the collaboration takes us.** **New to vibe coding? ✨** No worries! We begin with a simple starter guide with example prompts and tips so even total beginners can dive in without stress. *** **Schedule 🕒** *(Doors open early so we can settle in — aim to arrive by 6:50 PM so we can kick off on time)* * **7:00** – Presentation * **7:25** – Assignment + team formation 🤝 * **7:30** – **Round 1:** Build together 💻 * **8:15** – Break (grab a drink, swap ideas, hang out) 🍺 * **8:30** – **Round 2:** Keep building 🏗️ * **9:00** – Optional demos 📺 * **9:15** – Hang out, network, make friends ✌️ *** **Who is it for?** **Anyone!** Curious coders, tinkerers, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to explore AI-powered creativity in a fun, social pub setting. **What to bring:** * **Laptop!** 💻 * **Vibes** ⚡ 👉 **No pressure, no gatekeeping.** Just good people, fun ideas, and some fast-paced collaborative building.

**Welcome to our Official Members Club Night!** * See our new payment terms, prices & updates below! * **Suitable for Higher Intermediate to Advance players!** Many of our players compete at a Division 1 Level in the local leagues! * **Guests of a suitable standard welcomed (if interested in playing league matches do enquire)** * To maintain the level of the session, it may be necessary to direct a player to one of our other nights at their suitable level! **New Payment Terms, Prices & Updates (from 9/9/25)** * **Make your payment when you RSVP** (bank details below), don't leave it till later! (unless on waiting list) * If you don't complete the above you will be removed from the list/added to waiting list! See T&C's below! * **Members and Guests prices have increased!** (see below) **SESSION DETAILS** **VENUE** \- Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich\, SE22 0NR **TIME** \- 7\.30pm till 10pm **COURTS** \- 4 **SHUTTLES** \- Quality Feather Shuttles **COST** - **Annual Members £10 per session / Non-Members £14** * Pay when you RSVP, or you will be moved to 'Not Going' * Membership (only applicable for Wed sessions) For details regarding membership email - [sandra1.crossfire@gmail.com](mailto:sandra1.crossfire@gmail.com) Please note Membership may not always be available for different reasons! **BOOKING YOUR SPACE** **1 - RSVP & Pay via Bank Transfer to NatWest Account Details below** * **PLEASE MAKE YOUR PAYMENT WHEN YOU RSVP!** If you delay in making your payment, your spot will be removed without notice, and placed in the the waiting list or not attending **PAYMENT DETAILS** * Bank - NatWest * Account Name - Crossfire Badminton Club * Sort Code - 60-24-25 * Account no - 10579109 * Reference - Your Name & Session date * * **Waiting List** \- Be sure to have notifications on from Meetup to know if/when you are allocated a spot\! It is your responsibility to keep update\. Payment will be required promptly to secure your place\! Cancellation & No\-Show policies apply\. * If you take to long to secure your spot, you will be removed from the waiting list, giving other players a chance to book! **\*\*\*\* TERMS & CONDITIONS \*\*\*\*** **RSVP & UPDATING STATUS -** \~ You can only RSVP on this website! A prompt payment will be required unless you're on the waiting list. ( a delay in payment could mean you lose your spot! \~ **You can RSVP until 7pm the latest on Wednesday!** However do note the cancellation policy/times below! \~ If you have **RSVP'd and your plans change, please update/change your RSVP immediately!** So that other players have a chance to book! \~ No rackets are provided **CANCELLATION /NO SHOW POLICY & PENALTY FEE** **This session does not give a refund**, however, if you cancel your RSVP before 48hrs of the session start time, we are happy to transfer your payment to the following Wednesday session upon request! (Contact Sandra) **No Show Penalty**. A £5 penalty will be enforced which is payable before attending a future session. Repeat offenders will not be allowed to attend other sessions! \~ **Waiting List** **\- Please do keep an eye on any updates as you will be automatically added if someone cancels\, and required to make your payment ASAP to secure your place**. Cancellation/ No-Show policies apply! \~ Please understand that a 'No Excuses accepted!' policy will be taken, and understand that purpose of the penalty system is to maintain the value of the session, and allow us to plan accordingly. We thank you for your understanding and support! Toilets will be available, but changing rooms & showers will be closed, so arrive dressed to play **DRESS CODE, WELL-BEING, CONDUCT & EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:** Please ensure that you wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor sporting activity. Ensure than your jewellery is also kept to a minimal, and avoid wearing large ear rings, chains or bracelets/bangles. If your footwear and/or clothing is not suitable you might not be able to participate in the session. No refund of transfer of session fees applicable! Your health and safety in important to us, so if needed please seek advice from your doctor before playing any sports. You are also responsible for warming up/cooling down stretches to reduce the risk of strains/ injuries. Please understand that you play at your own risk as Crossfire Badminton Club will not be held responsible for any injuries incurred. We welcome players of all backgrounds, and treat everyone equally with respect. This is also expected from our participants. If you fail to do this, you may be asked to leave the session, or even banned from future sessions Thank you for all your understanding and support CrossFire Badminton Club

🤖 **Most AI writing tools keep you in a chat box. This talk is about what happens when you step outside it.** Led by **[Max Clayton Clowes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxclaytonclowes/)**, afractional product manager, we'll look at how technical writers — regardless of coding background — can use Claude Code to work in a docs-as-code environment, extend their documentation tooling, and build workflows that hold their own standards over time. We'll cover: \- Why Claude without proper context is a frustrating experience and how Skills fix that \- How Claude Code enables technical writers to work with frameworks like Docusaurus without needing to be developers \- Building and extending documentation tooling — plugins\, components\, GitHub Actions — that most teams don't have the time or skills to build from scratch \- Using Claude Code to maintain docs at scale: auditing\, keeping content in sync with a changing codebase\, and automating the checks that keep quality consistent The talk is aimed at technical writers of all levels. You don't need to be comfortable in a terminal to get value from it — we'll show a clear path from the Claude web interface through to Claude Code, and you can engage at whichever level suits you. **Want to follow along?** Pick the level that works for you and get set up before you arrive: \- Web interface: A Claude account at claude\.ai\. Free tier is fine\. \- Claude Code: Download the Claude desktop app at claude\.com/download\. Requires a paid Claude plan \(Pro or above\)\. On macOS/Linux\, run *curl \-fsSL https://claude\.ai/install\.sh \| bash* to install. Windows users can download the installer directly. No other dependencies needed. Not set up? Everything will be on screen — you can explore at your own pace afterwards. **🗒️ Agenda** **When:** Thursday 19 March, from 6.30pm **Where:** The Gallery @ [The Corner](https://maps.app.goo.gl/C1iSyEeMffB7BZjf6) (42 Adler Street, E1 1EE) **What:** **18.30 - 19.00** Arrival **19.00 - 19.10** Welcome & Housekeeping **19.10 - 19.40** Part 1 of presentation **19.40 - 20.00** Break **20.00 - 20.30** Part 2 of presentation **20.30 - 21.00** Closing and networking *All times are approximate.* **📍 How to find us:** Enter the hotel, turn right and right again past the bar to find The Gallery meeting room. Look for WTD signs and friendly organisers. **📸 Photos:** Note that the organizers will take some photos for the WTD group.

For those of you who want a nice relaxed drink and not necessarily a meal to accompany it, Croydon Eats Out brings you a regular opportunity to meet, drink and have a nibble - well, it has to involve some sort of eating! When you arrive, please look out for the Meet Up sign or ask at the bar as we have booked an area. Whether you'd prefer to dive straight in to conversation with other CEO members or would like an introduction is entirely up to you, so look out for Fran who is your host. Travel: Please check the TFL website (http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/) to plan your route. Ground rules: • This is a social networking event - This is the place to have a nice chat over a drink, meet new people and exchange ideas. If you're coming to sell or pitch your business, dish out flyers or business cards, this isn't the event for you. Likewise, this isn't a dating event either.

These fortnightly sessions are dedicated to the discussion and exploration of an idea that I, as the organiser, have planned. No prior reading or knowledge is required. For more information, please visit https://www.think-philosophy.group/about/

**The main event: MxLDN** * **Date:** Wednesday 18th March * **Time:** 18:00 - 21:00 * **Location:** Dotdigital Offices, 9th Floor, 1 London Brg, London SE1 9BG **Drinks & games hosted by Hypernode:** * **Date:** Wednesday 18th March * **Time:** 21:00 - 23:00 * **Location:** Bermondsey Bierkeller, 2, 4 Tooley St, London SE1 2SY **Speaker 1: Hervé Tribouilloy - Why Websites Become Hard to Change — and How to Stop It** *Commerce platforms develop architectural entropy over time. Hervé will host a live demo showing how new features can be introduced outside the platform and embedded back into the storefront — enabling faster experimentation while keeping the core stable.* **About MxLDN** 18th March, Dotdigital's office, London Bridge, be there or be square! We’re relaunching as a free, bi-monthly event, open to anyone in the Magento and Adobe Commerce world – developers, merchants, marketers, agencies, you name it… We welcome speakers who dive into the detail of what's actually happening in eCommerce right now. Get in touch via hello@mxldn.co.uk if you'd like to speak at one of our future events. We host open conversation over free pizza, free beer…what more could you want? More? Here you go then, after the talks we’ll head down to Bermondsey Bierkeller for some post-event drinks and games hosted by Hypernode! There’ll be air hockey, digital darts, pool tables and shuffleboards galore! First one for 2026. Save the date. See you there! Presented by: JH, Hÿva, Hypernode & Dotdigital Reach out to us via email us at **hello@mxldn.co.uk**

***Please note: signing up to this event does not mean you are booked onto the course. For full details and booking information, please visit [Cademy.](https://datacove.cademy.io/introduction-to-r-shiny)*** **Introducing Datacove** Datacove are a Data and Analytics Consultancy Team based in Brighton, with experience in founding many well-attended R & Python events. Plus, home of the EARL Conference! We work across multiple streams - from marketing and consumer analytics, to bespoke dashboards, process automation, and training! :) **Introduction to R in Shiny** Thursday 19th March, online 10am-12pm. £99 + VAT **Understand what Shiny is and when to use it** * What Shiny does, how it fits into the R ecosystem, and common use cases (apps, dashboards, internal tools, data products) * Differences between static R outputs (plots, reports) and interactive Shiny applications **Learn the basic structure of a Shiny application** * The roles of ui and server components * How shinyApp() brings the UI and server together * File structures for a multi-file Shiny app **Build user interfaces with Shiny layouts** * Using layout functions such as fluidPage() , sidebarLayout() , sidebarPanel() , and mainPanel() * Organising content with rows, columns, tabs, and panels * Adding titles, text, and spacing for clean, readable app design **Work with Shiny input and output elements** * Common inputs (sliders, dropdowns, text inputs, buttons, checkboxes) * Displaying outputs such as plots, tables, and text * Connecting inputs to outputs through the server logic **Introduction to Shiny’s reactive programming model** * What reactivity is and why it matters in interactive apps * How Shiny automatically updates outputs when inputs change **Create a foundation of a complete, working Shiny app** * Combining UI layouts, inputs, outputs, and reactivity into a functional application * Running and testing apps locally * Leave with a foundation app, ready to learn more advanced content to build upon. **Be ready to build your first dashboard or application** * Understanding next steps, such as theming, modules, and deployment options **How to Join** Please visit [Cademy](https://datacove.cademy.io/introduction-to-r-shiny) to book your space.

The global Azure community is coming together again, and Columbus is officially on the map. On **Saturday, April 18, 2026**, the Azure Columbus Meetup is hosting our local edition of Global Azure 2026. This is a free, community-driven event packed with learning, networking, and all things Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re building modern cloud-native apps, experimenting with AI agents, deploying containers, automating infrastructure, or just beginning your Azure journey, this event is for you! **What to Expect** * Engaging technical sessions * Real-world Azure architecture & cloud-native patterns * AI, agents, automation, and modern DevOps * Food and drinks (because learning burns calories) * Time to connect with fellow engineers, architects, and cloud enthusiasts We’re lining up a strong set of speakers from the local and regional Azure community. Speaker announcements coming soon! **Who Should Attend?** * Software engineers (any language, any stack) * Cloud architects * DevOps engineers * Data professionals * AI explorers * Platform builders * Anyone who loves solving hard problems with great tools If you build, deploy, automate, scale, monitor, or optimize in Azure, you’ll feel right at home. **Why Global Azure?** Global Azure is a worldwide community event where Azure user groups host learning sessions on the same day across the globe. It’s grassroots. It’s technical. It’s practical. And it’s powered by people who genuinely love sharing what they’ve learned. And yes, it’s free to attend!

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/

Builders, creators, architects, admins, consultants - come one, come all. This one's for you. We're bringing a little friendly competition to the Columbus ServiceNow community while highlighting the cool things people have built on the platform. Five presenters will take the stage to showcase something they've built, solved, designed, or imagined on the ServiceNow platform - and a panel of judges (plus YOU, our amazing audience) will score them live. So basically, America's Got Talent but make it ServiceNow's Got Talent. Bring a notepad if you'd like 'cause you'll definitely be learning something new. Each presenter gets 10 minutes max to wow the crowd with: • A demo • A real-world business solution • A bold idea • A UX transformation • Or a creative use of the platform Judging Criteria: 🏆 Business Value 🚀 Innovation ✨ User Experience This event is about celebrating ideas, sharing knowledge, and showing how ServiceNow can drive both business impact and meaningful user value. Come learn. Come support. Come get inspired. Refreshments and bites will be provided. And maybe next time… you’ll be on stage.

Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! https://sessionize.com/cbus-hug-2026/

So this month's prompt is more general. I think we can all agree that we are living in "unique" times that require coping skills. I think that one role and/or purpose of philosophy is to help us deal with our daily lives and our "unique" times. So, let's share our feelings and thoughts about which philosopher/philosophy we turn to in order to deal with our crazy events. Who/what helps you stay focused in your daily life and helps you sleep at night. I find that Stoicism with a little philosophical pessimism mixed in goes a long way in helping me deal with what I see as very destructive, fearful and mean spirited public policies at both the state and federal levels. Hope to see you on March 28th!